Pension and Other Post-Retirement Benefit Plans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Net Funded Status

Funded Status(in thousands):

	Pension Plans						Post-retirement Healthcare Plans
	2012			2011			2012			2011
Accumulated benefit obligation	$	860,463		$	772,612		$	8,781		$	9,275
Change in benefit obligation
Obligation as of January 1	$	772,612		$	694,548		$	9,275		$	10,135
Service cost	—			—			269			247
Interest cost	37,089			37,163			379			389
Curtailment gain	—			—			—			—
Special termination benefits	—			—			—			—
Plan amendment	—			—			(460		)	—
Plan transfers	1,657			871			—			—
Benefits paid	(26,130		)	(23,501		)	(974		)	(1,304		)
Actuarial (gain) loss	75,235			63,531			292			(192		)
Obligation as of December 31	$	860,463		$	772,612		$	8,781		$	9,275
Change in plan assets
Fair value as of January 1	$	594,697		$	588,494		$	—		$	—
Actual gain on plan assets	87,598			10,842			—			—
Plan transfers	1,657			871			—			—
Employer contributions	24,731			17,991			974			1,304
Benefits paid	(26,130		)	(23,501		)	(974		)	(1,304		)
Fair value as of December 31	$	682,553		$	594,697		$	—		$	—
Funded status
Recorded liabilities—net underfunded	$	(177,910	)	$	(177,915	)	$	(8,781	)	$	(9,275	)

Schedule of Net Benefit Costs

ABX’s net periodic benefit costs for its defined benefit pension plans and post-retirement healthcare plans for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010, are as follows (in thousands):

	Pension Plans									Post-Retirement Healthcare Plan
	2012			2011			2010			2012			2011			2010
Service cost	$	—		$	—		$	2,286		$	269		$	247		341
Interest cost	37,089			37,163			36,678			379			389			800
Expected return on plan assets	(39,882		)	(39,027		)	(35,600		)	—			—			—
Amortization of prior service cost	—			—			—			433			529			364
Amortization of net (gain) loss	10,681			2,700			2,069			(5,552		)	(5,552		)	(4,167		)
Net periodic benefit cost	$	7,888		$	836		$	5,433		$	(4,471	)	$	(4,387	)	$	(2,662	)

Schedule of Net Periodic Benefit Cost Not yet Recognized

The pre-tax amounts in accumulated other comprehensive loss that have not yet been recognized as components of net periodic benefit expense at December 31, 2012, are as follows (in thousands):

	Pension Plans				Post-Retirement Healthcare Plans
	2012		2011		2012			2011
Unrecognized prior service cost	$	—	$	—	$	(9,836	)	$	(14,929	)
Unrecognized net actuarial loss	182,342		165,505		2,920			3,061
Accumulated other comprehensive (income) loss	$	182,342	$	165,505	$	(6,916	)	$	(11,868	)

Schedule of Amounts in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) to be Recognized over Next Fiscal Year

The following table sets forth the amounts of unrecognized net actuarial loss and (gain) recorded in accumulated other comprehensive loss that is expected to be recognized as components of net periodic benefit expense during 2013 (in thousands):

	Pension Plans		Post- Retirement Healthcare Plans
Amortization of actuarial loss	$	12,295	$	419
Prior Service Cost	—		(5,654		)

Schedule of Assumptions Used

Assumptions used in determining ABX’s pension obligations at December 31 were as follows:

	Pension Plans
	2012	2011	2010
Discount rate - crewmembers	4.25%	5.10%	5.35%
Discount rate - non-crewmembers	4.25%	4.65%	5.55%
Expected return on plan assets	6.75%	6.75%	6.75%

Schedule of Allocation of Plan Assets

The pension plan assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis were as follows (in thousands):

As of December 31, 2012	Fair Value Measurement Using						Total
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
Plan assets
Temporary cash investments	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—
Common trust funds	—		5,720		—		5,720
Corporate stock	63,396		2,123		—		65,519
Mutual funds	96,008		138,846		—		234,854
Fixed income investments	5,832		326,478		—		332,310
Real estate	—		—		17,181		17,181
Hedge funds and private equity	—		—		26,969		26,969
Total plan assets	$	165,236	$	473,167	$	44,150	$	682,553

As of December 31, 2011	Fair Value Measurement Using						Total
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
Plan assets
Temporary cash investments	$	14	$	—	$	—	$	14
Common trust funds	—		17,495		—		17,495
Corporate stock	49,169		197		—		49,366
Mutual funds	73,910		125,027		—		198,937
Fixed income investments	17,009		271,560		—		288,569
Real estate	—		—		14,557		14,557
Hedge funds and private equity	—		—		25,759		25,759
Total plan assets	$	140,102	$	414,279	$	40,316	$	594,697

The weighted-average asset allocations by asset category are as shown below:

	Composition of Plan Assets as of December 31
Asset category	2012		2011
Cash	—	%	2	%
Equity securities	48	%	46	%
Fixed income securities	49	%	50	%
Real estate	3	%	2	%
	100	%	100	%

Schedule of Expected Benefit Payments

The following benefit payments, which reflect expected future service, as appropriate, are expected to be paid out of the respective plans as follows (in thousands):

	Pension Benefits		Post-retirement Healthcare Benefits
2013	$	28,810	$	1,105
2014	32,901		1,009
2015	32,166		922
2016	34,639		841
2017	36,711		823
Years 2018 to 2022	217,159		3,944

Schedule of Level Three Defined Benefit Plan Assets Roll Forward

The following table presents a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances of the fair value measurements using significant Level 3 unobservable inputs (in thousands):

	Hedge Funds & Private Equity			Real Estate Investments		Total
January 1, 2011	$	25,510		$	12,214	$	37,724
Unrealized gains	713			2,343		3,056
Purchases & settlements	(464		)	—		(464		)
December 31, 2011	$	25,759		$	14,557	$	40,316
Unrealized gains	3,612			2,624		6,236
Purchases & settlements	(2,402		)	—		(2,402		)
December 31, 2012	$	26,969		$	17,181	$	44,150

Schedule of Retirement Plans

Expenses for defined contribution retirement plans were as follows (in thousands):

	Years Ended December 31
	2012		2011		2010
Capital accumulation plans	$	5,300	$	4,938	$	4,527
Profit sharing plans	—		—		110
Total expense	$	5,300	$	4,938	$	4,637